Blackjack - the
game and basic strategy

Unlike roulette, for example,
where luck is the major factor and - rather than actual skill -
the player's 'ability' is measured purely on money management,
blackjack is a thinker's game.

Although
we have no more control over what cards will come next than we
do over where the ball will land to rest on the roulette wheel,
here we have an incredibly useful factor in the information
provided by the cards we (and the dealer) are initially dealt.
Combine this with the various betting options available at this
stage, and the very real skill factor assumes just about as much
importance as the luck.

Despite its apparent simplicity blackjack is nevertheless a
fascinating game, and is therefore popular with internet players
who opt for the online casino experience. Many players who
approach these games with the opinion that gambling is generally
down to luck (a negative attitude, perhaps but not, in the main,
an unrealistic one) are bound to lose in the long-run, but these
players will have fun, might get lucky and tend to move about
the casino(s) from one game to another.

But it is the more serious player who runs the risk of losing
more money. Unfortunately, where there is an outlet for players
to use their skill through making accurate decisions, there is
also plenty of scope for us to make mistakes, which is why no
casino operator will lose any sleep over the accumulated results
of blackjack.

Of course even if we have serious hopes of ending a session of
online gambling with a profit, the time spent in front of the
screen should be stress-free and relaxing (fun). After a hard
day at work, or if we are simply looking to wind down, then the
situation is not necessarily conducive to consistently making
wise decisions literally every minute. And even if we are
genuinely trying, to achieve a certain level of play requires a
certain amount of effort and aforethought - and time. Thus the
vast majority of players will, on average and after a sufficient
period of play, come out at least slightly behind. The beauty of
the game for the casino is that most of their would-be
discerning customers believe they are playing according to logic
and losing only because of the house edge, when the truth is
that, collectively, incorrect play over many hands simply sends
the money in the wrong direction. So many players are attracted
to blackjack because of the near negligible house edge, but the
way the game tends to be played considerably accentuates the
casino's advantage. These articles are guides to online gambling
and not a 'how to win' manual, and there is certainly nothing
wrong in either playing these games for the thrill of it or
trying out strategies in a game that involves little risk
compared with almost all the others we are presented with (as
long as this is done within sensible limits, of course).
However, those of you who prefer to approach blackjack with a
view to at least minimizing errors might consider some kind of
strategy based on certain established fundamentals.

With so much literature and facts and figures on the subject so
readily available it is not too difficult to find something that
suits and, since we are talking about real money here, we would
recommend putting some thought into the game rather than
treating blackjack as a game of chance or attempt to reinvent
the theory. Thanks in the main to computer simulation programs
that have played out literally billions of hands, the correct
strategies regarding the relationship between the player's cards
and the dealer's up card (and doubling, splitting etc.) are now
well documented. It pays to study these, but nowadays you can
simply have the relevant tables in front of you (such
information is even allowed in a B&M casino), while online
gamblers can also take advantage of hints provided by the casino
itself.

By using sound basic strategy alone we are able to significantly
reduce the casino's edge to a fraction of a percent.

Blackjack Basic Strategy

The house edge in blackjack, 5.58 per cent, comes from a
combination of two factors, the most important being the fact
that with the player copying the dealer's 'forced' strategy
(typically hitting a total below 17 and standing on the rest)
the likelihood of this or that total being reached on either
side of the table is (obviously) the same, but whenever the
player busts he loses. This house advantage is tempered to some
extent by the 3-2 odds paid on (uncontested) blackjack.

Fortunately for the player the otherwise significant house
advantage begins to further fall thanks to the choices he is
offered and that are not available to the dealer. For example
just by electing to stand on any total between 12 and 17 when
the dealer shows a low up card already reduces the 5.58 to 2.38,
while introducing the facility to double on certain totals,
split pairs, re-split and so on brings the player's disadvantage
down to practically negligible levels.

Consequently, given these comparatively favorable circumstances
for the player it seems appropriate to single out blackjack for
further, albeit limited, consideration in terms of finding a
sensible approach to playing online. This is where Basic
Strategy comes into play, whereby the player uses a set of
guidelines to help steer through the blackjack jungle, thus
avoiding sometimes unlikely hazards that befall most players,
including the well intentioned, independent yet - ultimately -
consistent losers.

Don't forget that it is absolutely imperative to avoid drifting
away from the basic strategy if we are to maintain an acceptably
level playing field - experimenting or going against tried and
tested practice to 'spice' up a playing session serves only to
swing the balance very much back in the casino's favor.

Remember, too, that like any other casino game we should
remember to adhere to general rules such as limiting and
monitoring the bank-roll or the amount of time for a single
session, stopping when tired and so on. But with blackjack
requiring a certain level of concentration - at least if our
chances of success are to be kept to a maximum - it makes sense
to be extra vigilant. The effects of alcohol or tiredness, for
example, are obviously going to make a bigger (negative)
difference to blackjack results than would be the case playing
the slots.